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workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:30 AM Jun 2016

Surprise: Bernie Sanders's Youth Revolution Loved Rallies More Than Actually Voting

Sanders energized the youth vote in a way that allowed him to dominate that voting bloc. The problem is, that voting bloc failed him when the time came to cast a ballot.
CHEZ PAZIENZA

This won't be about Bernie Sanders, per se. Bernie Sanders seems to be positioning himself to do the right thing in the coming weeks. What this means is that it's time to strike a conciliatory tone in the name of forging a unified front of decent Americans aimed at ensuring that Donald Trump and the morally bankrupt party sanctioning his quest for the White House do not succeed.

No, this will be about what it's been about almost since the beginning of Sanders's improbable rise: his rabid disciples.

Specifically, his supposed army of youthful revolutionaries; the political neophytes who formed a cult of personality around Sanders knowing little about how politics actually work; the people who still threaten to "burn it all down" because they didn't get their way; the meme-warriors who've spent the past 48 hours lashing out at those who've endorsed Hillary Clinton, including their former progressive hero Elizabeth Warren; the kids who insist their lack of presence in the general election, the result of their candidate not winning, will doom any Democratic effort.

http://thedailybanter.com/2016/06/sanders-youth-vote-didnt-show/
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Surprise: Bernie Sanders's Youth Revolution Loved Rallies More Than Actually Voting (Original Post) workinclasszero Jun 2016 OP
All your friends can see you at the rally. They can't see you in the voting booth. BobbyDrake Jun 2016 #1
If you could vote on Twitter, WhiteTara Jun 2016 #2
The Bernie revolution workinclasszero Jun 2016 #11
This pretty much sums it up caquillo Jun 2016 #3
Furthermore caquillo Jun 2016 #7
And they actually polled that age group BEFORE the election to see what would get their support Lucinda Jun 2016 #20
"Just ask Ron Paul.." this is what we were saying from the beginning.. Cha Jun 2016 #4
Yeah, that was pretty obvious. TwilightZone Jun 2016 #5
Hey, voting sucks. You go to the polls and two years later stopbush Jun 2016 #19
From looking at his crowds Blue Idaho Jun 2016 #6
You can get a friend to drive you to a rally ... not so much on voting day. LannyDeVaney Jun 2016 #8
Surprise, surprise, surprise. Chez hits the nail on the head. Fla Dem Jun 2016 #9
Right workinclasszero Jun 2016 #10
Exactly. charlyvi Jun 2016 #12
I was so pissed off when that happened workinclasszero Jun 2016 #22
I have my doubts because I'm seeing so many "I didn't get my way" Maru Kitteh Jun 2016 #33
its a social event....and why young voters are inherently undependable at best beachbum bob Jun 2016 #13
Maybe they should have put a sign quickesst Jun 2016 #14
Maybe they saw the size of the rallies and figured Arkansas Granny Jun 2016 #15
Here's the thing: Obama understood community/grassroots organizing and got a sizable number KittyWampus Jun 2016 #16
The Sanders campaign should have had a team NastyRiffraff Jun 2016 #17
I guess running a comic book store workinclasszero Jun 2016 #24
Sanders has been in Congress for decades and Devine has been part of multiple campaigns. TwilightZone Jun 2016 #26
It also includes the handicapped. What THEY need to either get to polls or caucuses... KittyWampus Jun 2016 #28
A few of us who dared post our opinions that the above stopbush Jun 2016 #18
I know that's true workinclasszero Jun 2016 #23
As revolutionary as forjusticethunders Jun 2016 #21
The irony...it berns! workinclasszero Jun 2016 #25
HAHA sarae Jun 2016 #31
Bingo! NastyRiffraff Jun 2016 #32
. Maru Kitteh Jun 2016 #34
Same with the Vietnam Era kids hollowdweller Jun 2016 #27
Well, you can't really be Commander-in-chief AND a pacifist caquillo Jun 2016 #29
The youth are difficult to turn out in a General... In his day, Ron Paul attracted the youth. Agnosticsherbet Jun 2016 #30
 

BobbyDrake

(2,542 posts)
1. All your friends can see you at the rally. They can't see you in the voting booth.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:45 AM
Jun 2016

Without the motivation of being seen and having even the smallest level of attention being paid to you, why bother?

caquillo

(521 posts)
3. This pretty much sums it up
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:50 AM
Jun 2016
There are also, however, some predictably dubious reasons for this, like the fact that kids love the thrill of rallies and "rock star" spectacles, where they can join with others just like them and feel like they're part of something empowering, trendy and "cool," but when the time comes to do the actual work, well, they just have better things to do.


I always assumed it was the party atmosphere, being among peers, screaming, wearing specially-made T-shirts, painted faces -- not unlike a rock concert or sporting event, which young people generally love. That's why I never took that movement seriously. It was a passing fad and Sanders is a flash in the pan. There will be no revolution, whatever they mean by that.

caquillo

(521 posts)
7. Furthermore
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:57 AM
Jun 2016

I'm surprised the article didn't elaborate on Sanders' promise of free tuition and no student loan debt. I live in a college town and have engaged (but not recently) with some of Sanders' young supporters, and they honestly believed that if Sanders were elected, the second he took office, he would implement all those changes. By himself. I kid you not. These people have no clue how our government works.

Lucinda

(31,170 posts)
20. And they actually polled that age group BEFORE the election to see what would get their support
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:31 AM
Jun 2016

I wish i'd saved the article link, but they ran a survey to find out what buzzwords and issues would work best on that age range, before the campaign got fully underway

Cha

(305,406 posts)
4. "Just ask Ron Paul.." this is what we were saying from the beginning..
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:54 AM
Jun 2016

Another problem burnie had was POC did turn out for Hillary.. The Pragmatic Voters.

Mahalo, workin~

TwilightZone

(28,833 posts)
5. Yeah, that was pretty obvious.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:55 AM
Jun 2016

If they'd shown up at the primaries and caucuses and actually voted, he might have done better. Probably not three million votes better, but better nonetheless.

stopbush

(24,630 posts)
19. Hey, voting sucks. You go to the polls and two years later
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:23 AM
Jun 2016

you've gotta do it all over again. WTF?

And what do you get for it? A stupid "I voted" sticker to put on your shirt. You think you'd get at least a free download from iTunes.

Blue Idaho

(5,500 posts)
6. From looking at his crowds
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 08:57 AM
Jun 2016

I'd say many aren't old enough to vote. Add to that the sad fact that the 18 - 24 age group is notoriously absent at the ballot box. I wish it weren't true - but kids don't vote, even for a messianic figure like what's his name.

 

LannyDeVaney

(1,033 posts)
8. You can get a friend to drive you to a rally ... not so much on voting day.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:05 AM
Jun 2016

As I stated months ago, if voting was via XBox and Snapchat, these folks would have voted.

Without checking, I imagine Bernie's FB page has way more "Likes" than Clinton's FB page. For the younger generation, Like = vote.

Fla Dem

(25,685 posts)
9. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Chez hits the nail on the head.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:08 AM
Jun 2016

This is the same demographic that couldn't be bothered in the 2010 mid term elections to vote and gave up the House and Senate to the Republicans. Democrats do tend to get the more idealistic, younger voter, the only problem is they have "better" thing to do on a Tuesday than stand in line to vote.

 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
10. Right
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:16 AM
Jun 2016

And here will be proof that the Sanders "revolution" is real...

If they show up in the millions at the next off year elections and vote democratic.

I have my doubts seeing as how they are the worst age group for voting and didn't even do it for Bernie''s run.

charlyvi

(6,537 posts)
12. Exactly.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:35 AM
Jun 2016

They voted for Obama in '08 and '12; where were they in '10 and '14? Then blame him for what he didn't get done.

 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
22. I was so pissed off when that happened
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:45 AM
Jun 2016

When will people learn how damn important those off year elections are?

Maru Kitteh

(29,087 posts)
33. I have my doubts because I'm seeing so many "I didn't get my way"
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 04:54 PM
Jun 2016

therefore it must be "rigged" aka, not my fault, or more simply, just the way things go sometimes.

The lack of acceptance that sometimes you just lose. I've seen so much of it, followed by "that's it, I'm just done with it all, there's no point in voting because MY vote doesn't count." Read here; I voted for my candidate, and the other candidate won anyway . . . It's NOT FAIR. Me me me me me me.

This is the generation raised where everyone gets a first-place trophy. Everyone makes the team. Everyone gets a ribbon. They're just thoroughly unfamiliar with the concept of not always getting their way, and a reward simply for existing.




**Of course this does not apply to all SBS supporters who are for the most part, especially IRL, reasonable and aware that SBS and HRC are both infinitely preferable to that racist orange, short-fingered man-baby. I think we are all familiar with the particular contingent this refers to. I'm grateful, in truth, that so many of SBS are reasonable people. But of course the cameras, and political message boards are more likely to capture the outliers, and that is too often what we see here.

quickesst

(6,300 posts)
14. Maybe they should have put a sign
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:45 AM
Jun 2016

.... in front of the polling stations advertising a huge keg party. Admission: One Bernie vote

Arkansas Granny

(31,827 posts)
15. Maybe they saw the size of the rallies and figured
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:45 AM
Jun 2016

there was no way he could lose. How many times did we see posters on DU say . . "but, but, but his rallies are HUGE".

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
16. Here's the thing: Obama understood community/grassroots organizing and got a sizable number
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:45 AM
Jun 2016

to the polls.

His team didn't depend on them as Sanders and his campaign did.

But Obama did the organizing groundwork AND the big rallies.

The Youth Vote may be fickle and hard to herd to the voting booth, but Sanders' campaign was just pitifully unable to organize anyone in any meaningful way.

NastyRiffraff

(12,448 posts)
17. The Sanders campaign should have had a team
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 09:56 AM
Jun 2016

DEDICATED to GOTV. That means canvassing, calling, making sure people knew their state's election laws and deadlines, providing transportation if needed, educating on the issues, and yes, rallies. Instead they did only rallies and no education. Stump speeches and no reminders. You need all this especially with young potential voters.

 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
24. I guess running a comic book store
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:50 AM
Jun 2016

doesn't really prepare a person to run a national campaign for POTUS.

Who knew?

TwilightZone

(28,833 posts)
26. Sanders has been in Congress for decades and Devine has been part of multiple campaigns.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:56 AM
Jun 2016

They knew all of this and still didn't do it. That tells me that they either grossly overestimated the power of the "message" or never intended to win initially, then got semi-serious about it when it looked like it was going to be a closer race than they expected.

 

KittyWampus

(55,894 posts)
28. It also includes the handicapped. What THEY need to either get to polls or caucuses...
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 11:06 AM
Jun 2016

Example, Nevada.

stopbush

(24,630 posts)
18. A few of us who dared post our opinions that the above
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:18 AM
Jun 2016

was happening during the primary season were promptly alert swarmed by Sanders supporters, our posts hidden for being...well, truthful.

 

hollowdweller

(4,229 posts)
27. Same with the Vietnam Era kids
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 10:57 AM
Jun 2016

Nixon was elected by a landslide over McGovern.

Then the generation that hated the gov't over Vietnam became the one that hated the gov't over taxes and welfare.

The Anti gov't rhetoric of the baby boomers during the 60's paved the way for Reagan, Rush, Bush et al.

They sold out the social contract that allowed them to give a good life in the 80's because they were too fucking selfish to pay taxes.

Now their kids are pissed and Bernie supporters.

Heck even Clinton herself after being an anti war person and working for McCarthy is more than happy to send kids into war.
Talk about Ironic!

Agnosticsherbet

(11,619 posts)
30. The youth are difficult to turn out in a General... In his day, Ron Paul attracted the youth.
Sat Jun 11, 2016, 11:09 AM
Jun 2016

They did not turn out and vote for him in large numbers.

And it is near impossible to turn the youth out in a midterm when none of the candidates create high-energy spectacles.

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